
John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Miami International Airport (MIA) are two of the largest airports in the United States. In 2021, Miami International Airport surpassed JFK in terms of international passenger traffic, despite JFK having the most international routes. In terms of size, JFK occupies around 4,850 to 5,200 acres, while Miami International Airport covers 3,300 acres. Therefore, JFK is bigger than MIA when considering the amount of ground space the airports occupy.
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What You'll Learn
- Miami International Airport is the busiest international cargo airport in the US
- John F. Kennedy International Airport is the busiest international airport in North America
- JFK has the most international routes of any US airport
- Miami Airport is 10th busiest airport in the US
- JFK is the 9th largest airport in the US

Miami International Airport is the busiest international cargo airport in the US
Miami International Airport (MIA) is the busiest international cargo airport in the United States. It is the primary international airport serving Miami and its surrounding metropolitan area, in the US state of Florida. In 2021, it surpassed John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City to become the busiest international cargo airport in the US. It is also the busiest US gateway for international passengers.
MIA covers 3,300 acres (1,300 ha) and is Florida's busiest airport for total aircraft operations and cargo traffic. It is South Florida's main airport for long-haul international flights and a hub for the Southeastern United States, with passenger and cargo flights to cities throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia. It is the largest gateway between the US and Central, South America, and the Caribbean. The airport hosts over 1,000 daily flights to 185 domestic and international destinations, including most countries in Central and South America and the Caribbean. It is designated as a pharmaceutical freight hub by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as it ensures the proper handling of sensitive pharma products shipped by air.
MIA is a vital trade link, connecting businesses across the Americas. It handles 85% of all air imports and 80% of all Latin American and Caribbean exports. The airport offers service to over 160 cities on four continents, with dedicated freighter service to 112 global destinations. It is projected to process 77 million passengers and 4 million tons of freight annually by 2040. To meet this demand, the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners approved a $5 billion improvement plan to take place over 15 years, concluding in 2035. The plan includes concourse optimisation, the construction of two on-site luxury hotels, the demolition of Concourse G, and the expansion of the airport's cargo capacity.
MIA is served by over 80 airlines and contains three terminals (North, Central, and South) and six concourses for a total of 131 gates. The largest cargo complex is located on the west side of the airport, inside the triangle formed by Runways 12/30 and 9/27. Cargo carriers such as LATAM Cargo, Atlas Air, Amerijet International, and DHL operate from this area. The largest privately-owned facility is the Centurion Cargo complex in the northeast corner of the airport, with over 51,000 m2 (550,000 sq ft) of warehouse space.
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John F. Kennedy International Airport is the busiest international airport in North America
John F. Kennedy International Airport (IATA: JFK, ICAO: KJFK, FAA LID: JFK) is a major international airport serving New York City and its metropolitan area. It is the busiest international commercial airport in North America. Over 90 airlines operate from JFK, with nonstop or direct flights to destinations on all six inhabited continents.
JFK Airport is located on the southwestern shore of Long Island, in Queens, New York City, bordering Jamaica Bay. It is the busiest of the seven airports in the New York airport system, and the sixth-busiest airport in the United States. The airport, which covers 5,200 acres (2,104 ha), is the largest in the New York metropolitan area.
JFK is a hub for American Airlines and Delta Air Lines, as well as the primary operating base for JetBlue. The airport features five or six passenger terminals and four runways. It is primarily accessible via car, bus, shuttle, or other vehicle transit via the JFK Expressway or Interstate 678 (Van Wyck Expressway).
In 2019, JFK handled over 62.5 million passengers, making it the 20th-busiest airport in the world. It is also a former hub for several airlines, including Braniff, Eastern, Flying Tigers, National, Northeast, Northwest, Pan Am, Seaboard World, Tower Air, and TWA. The facility opened in 1948 as New York International Airport, and was renamed in 1963 after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
While JFK is the busiest international airport in North America, other airports handle more domestic traffic. Atlanta (ATL) is the busiest airport in the US and the world, with average annual traffic of 110 million passengers. LAX, serving Los Angeles, is the second-busiest airport in the US and sees about 88 million passengers. Miami International Airport (MIA) is the tenth busiest airport in the US, and the busiest international cargo airport in the country.
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JFK has the most international routes of any US airport
John F. Kennedy International Airport (IATA: JFK) is a major international airport serving New York City and its metropolitan area. It is the busiest of the seven airports in the New York airport system, and the sixth busiest airport in the United States. JFK is also the busiest international commercial airport in North America. The airport covers 5,200 acres (2,104 ha) and is the largest in the New York metropolitan area.
JFK Airport has nonstop or direct flights to destinations on all six inhabited continents. It is the first US airport to receive a commercial Airbus A350 flight, with Qatar Airways operating this aircraft on its New York-Doha route. The airport also hosts the world's longest flight, Singapore Airlines Flights 23 and 24 (SQ23 and SQ24), which was launched in 2020 between Singapore and New York JFK.
JFK is the US's largest international and long-haul gateway, with JetBlue, Delta Air Lines, and around 70 other operators offering nonstop and one-stop scheduled passenger flights to over 125 international airports globally. The airport is first for the country's European, African, and Middle Eastern flights, and third to Asia-Pacific. It is also the second most popular route to the Caribbean, Central America, and South America, after Miami.
Miami International Airport (MIA), on the other hand, is the primary international airport serving Miami and its surrounding metropolitan area. It hosts over 1,000 daily flights to 185 domestic and international destinations, including most countries in Central and South America and the Caribbean. In 2021, MIA became the busiest international cargo airport in the US and the busiest US gateway for international passengers, surpassing JFK. It is Florida's busiest airport by aircraft operations, cargo traffic, and passenger traffic.
In conclusion, while Miami International Airport may have surpassed JFK in terms of cargo and passenger traffic in recent years, JFK still boasts the most international routes of any US airport, with nonstop or direct flights to all six inhabited continents.
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Miami Airport is 10th busiest airport in the US
Miami International Airport (MIA) is the primary international airport serving Miami and its surrounding metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of Florida. It is among the busiest airports in the world, with over 80 airlines serving MIA to approximately 150 destinations around the globe. In 2021, it was the busiest international cargo airport in the U.S. and the busiest U.S. gateway for international passengers, surpassing John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City. As of 2021, it is the 10th busiest airport in the U.S. with 17,500,096 passengers for the year.
Miami International Airport covers 3,300 acres (or 3,230 acres according to another source) and is Florida's busiest airport by total aircraft operations, total cargo traffic, and total passenger traffic. The airport is American Airlines' third-largest hub and serves as its primary gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean. Miami also serves as a focus city for Avianca, Frontier Airlines, and LATAM, both for passengers and cargo operations. The airport is in an unincorporated area in Miami-Dade County, 8 miles (13 km) west-northwest of downtown Miami, in metropolitan Miami, adjacent to the cities of Miami and Miami Springs, and the village of Virginia Gardens. Nearby cities include Hialeah, Doral, and the census-designated place of Fontainebleau.
Miami International Airport hosts over 1,000 daily flights to 185 domestic and international destinations, including most countries in Central and South America and the Caribbean. The Central Terminal (Concourses E, F, and G) has varied uses; Concourse E is mainly used by American and its Oneworld partner airlines along with some Caribbean and Latin American airlines, and E's satellite terminal has a gate that can accommodate an Airbus A380. Concourses F and G are used by non-AA domestic and Canadian carriers and flights. The South Terminal (Concourses H and J) is the main non-Oneworld international terminal. Concourse H is largely used by Delta and non-Oneworld international carriers that send narrow-body planes, mostly from Central and the northern parts of South America, and some wide-body flights. Concourse J is used by most non-Oneworld international carriers that send wide-body planes and is the main terminal at MIA for non-Oneworld transcontinental flights.
Miami International Airport is the leading economic engine for Miami-Dade County and the state of Florida, generating business revenue of $118 billion annually and approximately 60 percent of all international visitors to Florida. It is South Florida's main airport for long-haul international flights and a hub for the Southeastern United States with passenger and cargo flights to cities throughout the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia. The airport has seen a significant increase in visitors post-pandemic and expects record-high numbers during the holidays.
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JFK is the 9th largest airport in the US
John F. Kennedy International Airport, or JFK, is the 9th largest airport in the US. It is also the biggest airport in New York. The airport occupies an area of around 5,200 acres, with an average yearly passenger traffic of 47 million, making it one of the busiest airports globally.
JFK is a major hub for several airlines, including American, JetBlue, and Delta. It has nonstop or direct flights to destinations across all six continents and is served by 90 airlines. The airport is also home to a unique feature—the ARK terminal, which is dedicated to pets and occupies 14.5 acres. It has grassy areas, wellness centres, and even swimming pools for pets.
JFK is notorious for its delayed flights and LDA90 issues. However, it has the most international routes of any airport in the US. The airport also has the second-longest runway in the country, at 12,511 feet, which served as NASA's backup runway for its space shuttles.
In comparison, Miami International Airport (MIA) is the 10th busiest airport in the US and the busiest in Florida. It covers 3,300 acres and handled 17,500,096 passengers in 2021. MIA is American Airlines' third-largest hub and serves as its primary gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean. It hosts over 1,000 daily flights to 185 domestic and international destinations.
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Frequently asked questions
No. Miami Airport covers 3,300 acres, while JFK covers 4,850-5,200 acres.
Miami Airport served nearly 56 million passengers in 2024.
JFK serves around 47 million passengers yearly.
Yes, JFK is one of the busiest airports in the world. It is the busiest international airport in North America.











































